Do an image search for your pic. It's everywhere.

AND it's marvelous !!

Thank you!

I'm glad I'm not the only one with a horrid basement! Thirty plus years of stuff. We started digging out a few years ago but never finished.....and then it got even worse. DH is off this week and has started again....some progress, but it will take a long time to go through everything and organize.

Kswl......so when can Lukki, sheesh and I book you for a basement redo?!

I have been making an effort to be more positive.. to focus on the positive. This isn't exactly a New Year's Resolution as I've been at it for a month but it's something I intend to carry into the New Year.

A big part of the effort is letting the little annoyances go.. being aware of what upsets me -- what makes me angry or sad and then "walking it off". I am sure this is something many of you have mastered but I needed a refresher course!

get back into lifting weights, eat more protein and less carbs, and book an actual honest-to-god leave-town vacation.

Yesterday I had my last private Pilates lesson with a great trainer, so my resolution is to have enough self-discipline to continue Pilates somewhere else AND add more variety and frequency to my workouts. At 58, I"m increasingly aware of how very important it is to keep my body stretching and moving. I can honestly say there has never been a moment in my life when I've happily thought 'oh boy I can't wait to [insert physical effort or exercise here]. If I had my druthers, I could happily lie in bed all day reading :). So this is important for me, if I let myself slip back into a sedentary life it will be my own darn fault!

Same as funkyard, focusing on the positive. I have so much to be thankful for. I am going to start a gratitude journal.

kswl, are the shelves made out of PVC pipe? I read a quote yesterday that said if you're buying stuff to put your stuff in, you have too much stuff! But I have organizers with holiday decorations, etc and would rather by the plastic containers once than worry about dirty, dusty cardboard boxes.

My goals are to continue eating better (lost almost 30lbs since June - more protein/less carbs, no soft drinks/sweet tea), continue going through storage rooms/closets (we've been talking about moving for over a year now), spend more time with my mom and start going to an exercise class or get back to walking in our neighborhood.

Good luck to all of you who are cleaning out the basement. We moved out of two houses this year, one we'd been in 16 years and the other 23, and it was such a big job going through all the accumulated junk. I got rid of a lot of stuff - garage sale, charity, trash. I highly recommend purging as much as possible - don't just reorganize all of it.

My goals are to get back on track with regular exercise and to drink less diet soda. I've literally been going through junk, packing, moving and unpacking since April - final move of last furniture was Monday. My exercise frequency dropped off drastically in April.

I don't make new year resolutions any more as I feel every day is a new day and a new opportunity to do better. I do have some intentions though, one being to spend this winter doing some deep cleaning in the house. I'd also like to get DH to fix some of the screw pops that have shown up since the house was built. Y'know those kinds of pain in the keister jobs.

RoseAbbey, I was going to mention the gratitude journal as well. Studies have shown it can increase happiness to do so.

Funkyart, on being aware of being annoyed, don't fight or suppress it as it will get more resistant and that only gives it more power. Rather sit with the annoying feeling, be aware of it, be open to it, study it in detail (where do you feel it in the body? what does annoyance feel like? what are my thoughts and emotions about it?) with as much specificity as you can. What you'll find is that as you explore it, it will dissipate on its own.

Alison, yes the frame is pvc pipe. I think we bought the frame kit from binwarehouse.com and the Sterite containers from WalMart.

FWIW, I totally agree with that quote!

OMG, love how beautifully organized your basement is Kswl, is that all good stuff in those boxes or stuff that you may not need? We probably have close to as many as you do but 70% of them are filled with junk we haven't looked at in years. Then there is all the stuff that doesn't fit in the boxes. It's a scary mess down there!

One more comment on cleaning out the basement/purging. My in laws never did. When they both passed on it was an enormous burden for their children to go through all their stuff. Keep that in mind when you are going through all that junk you never use and never will - if you don't get rid of it now who's going end up doing it? We don't have kids and I kept telling DH (who takes after his parents in keeping everything) who do you think is going to go through all this junk when you die? Don't leave it for someone else - get rid of it now. That kind of worked...

I recently re-joined the gym so my resolution is to actually go. I'm also going to improve my eating habits and focus on keeping a clean, organized home.

Annie, thanks for the link, very interesting.

Not to disappoint myself with failed New Years resolutions. Apparently only 8% of people actually succeed.

mine include lots that has already been listed here- but, most importantly i will try to resolve to maintain my resolutions throughout the year!! but, i really want to work on all the things required to be as happy and healthy as i comfortably can!

Last year my resolution was to do better with manicures/grooming of my nails, and I did great until my salon now no longer has a manicurist. The coolest thing she did for me was the Rolling Stones tongue on my thumbs when we went to the show.

This year, must work to get weight off. Eat more vegetarian meals.

We don't have a basement, but our guest room has wound up the junk room. Need to purge. Luckily, we never have guests. Thinking about taking away guest room and making it a more functional space. That would probably be a year-long project.

I am going to go through the entire house and touch everything/move everything out of cupboards and closets and purge and deep clean. No more glancing in the back of cupboards and ignoring what is there, I will pull it out and make a decision on whether or not it stays. I am not sure that I am ambitious enough to consider doing the same in the garage but I will at least begin working in there.

We bought a settee off craigslist a few years ago with the intention of re-upholstering it. The upholstery has continued to deteriorate. We will either get the job done this year or it is going to the transfer station.

Outside, there are a few projects that need to come to completion, so I will work on those. We also need to build a larger chicken coop and get more hens. No more dawdling on that, either.

Finally, I will quit my job this year. The extra income is not worth everything it costs me to continue working there.

I have a few tangible goals and a few abstract goals. I know "resolutions" are usually broken but I'm a firm believer that continual growth and improvement requires continual effort. One fail doesn't mean eventual failure. So the first day of any calendar year is usually a good symbolic time to renew this for myself.

I'm going to start using social media to better relate to many people in my life who use it. Alongside that, I will learn how to use it to my advantage and not to the demise of my time management!

I will continue implementing changes in my diet because food is a medicine in the case of my health issues.

I will make an effort to communicate better with my teens and not let the fact that they are "teens" be the excuse not to try to relate to them.

Be more positive and forgiving a la Funkyart above. I am really hard on myself and others, and I just need to lighten up. It's not in my nature to do so, so this really will be a continued effort that I'm not sure I can fully accomplish.

I think the trick is to make resolutions that are actually attainable. Last year my resolution was to pay off all of our credit card debt. There wasn't an over abundance of it to begin with, it was perfectly within our reach I just needed to say no to some things and focus. I had it done before the end of the second quarter and developed a good habit in the process.

To be kinder and more patient with others. It's my forever resolution.

Oh gosh Linelle, I can't imagine you being anything but kind and patient with others.

Oh lukkiirish, you are sweet to say so. Unfortunately, I have a long way to go.

I usually don't make them, but it certainly is a time to reflect on the year and what I have to look forward to in moving forward into the new year.

I do try to work on what I see as my personal flaws. But, I don't think I need a resolution per se to do it.

Happy New Year to all my GW friends! Wishing all the best in the year to come.

I am going to observe Lent with care and piety this year.

It is a double whammy for me since my birthday is the2nd. I feel really really compelled to take stock and plan :)

Happy Birthday Boop!

Well, we are off to a good start with our basement resolution, yesterday hubby went down there to do something and ended up getting it all organized so it will be easier to sort through. He even vacuumed down there! I was blown away when I went down to look at what he had done! Now we're just going to bring boxes up one at a time and with only a few exceptions, either trash or donate whatever is in them.

Weight loss. I regained the 50 (oh, how it hurts to type that) pounds I carefully lost following a low carb diet. I don't know if I have the guts to do it that way again, though; the people that say you will eventually lose your craving for bread and pasta lie, lie, lie ;) In my case, anyway.

Like Annie, I haven't made a new years resolution in years. The only one I ever completely kept was to never make one again.
I also believe in working each day to better myself.
The Gratitude Journal is a great idea though. It reminded me of one thing my dear friend Monica wrote in hers. After she had taken her life last March a friend found it, took a photo of it and sent it to me. It read "My friends. Especially (my name)". So not only can they help you keep tabs on the good things in your life, they can help others in reading them after you are gone.

Happy Birthday, Boop!

Our oldest is a junior in high school, I am mentally preparing for the day he leaves. I am also trying to be aware of the fact that these next 18 or so months are the last with him living here full-time. I want to create some extra special memories.

Here's how I started: We have an old car that he drives, it only has a CD Player- oh the horror for an Apple generation child. He wanted an aux input in his car. So for Christmas I researched the parts to purchase, found a video of how to take apart the dashboard and install and we did it together, mother and son. Such a great moment.

I am also going to involve the family more in cooking dinner. My sons are both comfortable in the kitchen, they can follow a recipe, etc. but dinner meal has evolved in last year or two to a generally solitary experience for me. I dont want that to be the case anymore. So last night, I had a plan and everyone had a role. Oldest sauteed the meat, while youngest charred tortillas and DH and I prepped veggies. Everyone in the kitchen working together- much better!

I would like to expand my exercise horizons. I run on the treadmill 3 -4 times a week. We also have a Total Gym which I use every other day, but I want to add in something else.

Local, I think it's great you are making prep and cooking a family affair. We do that too. One of my favorite pictures of hubby and son is them in the kitchen helping prepare the first Thanksgiving dinner after son came home from the sand box.

Local, that's a wonderful resolution. My husband and I always cook together, IMO, besides the benefits of him now knowing how to cook, it's a great way for families to stay bonded.

More reading. More exercise. More smiling. Less sugar.

Lukki, most of that stored stuff is Christmas but there's other stuff too--- all my daughter's American Girl dolls, clothing, furniture, backpacks and hair accessories... We practically have a museum worth of it stored!

I am happy to report that one of my immediate goals for 2016 was realized yesterday! All that vintage Friendly Village transfer ware and pewter flatware, chargers and goblets needed someplace handy to live so i can actually use it. We relocated all the vases from the built in cabinets in our laundry cum butler's pantry next to the dining room and had space not only for recent acquisitions but for pewter stemmed wineglasses and my pewter ice bucket! I am really pleased, and it looks far less cluttered.:

Never would have done this without DS2's help, he is home on school break and will be helping handy guy take down Christmas this coming week!

Ok - short list:

• Walk the 1 block to the park and walk for 30 minutes at least 3 times per week.
• Get back to low carb way of eating.
• Keep a cleaner house (or find a maid).
• Schedule and spend time with nieces and nephews at least 1 per month.
• Help my brother more with care of elderly father.

Kswl, I wish I could say all the stuff in our basement was cherished or keepable, so I'm a bit jealous right now, however by next January (or maybe even before then) I'm hoping that will change! Ugh!!! It's really a nightmare!

Love the display, very pretty!

I don't generally make resolutions, but reading all of yours make me think I should. I am definitely going to run another half marathon & want to better my finish time.

I have been off work for over a week now and usually use this time to deep clean, including cleaning out drawers, closets, and files. Haven't gotten to the files yet, but I have made a lot of progress on two walk-in closets in our spare bedrooms, cleaned out all the kitchen drawers and purged a bunch of stuff in the process. Then I worked on sorting through a lot of photographs from the last 5 or so years and organizing those. I have really neglected that chore as well as some cabinets in the family room, so that is almost done. I had cataract surgery last Tuesday and then came down with a cold, so that set me back a bit. Haven't had a cold in several years, but DH had one last week so I guess it was inevitable.

If it can be called a resolution, I have decided that I will likely retire by the end of this year. It feels right and I am definitely ready.

May I make a suggestion for those clearing out basements? Put the teens/20somethings to work on craigslisting/ebaying stuff for you! Think of how much easier it all would be with secretarial assistance! They can:

• Set you up with an account
• Take pictures of everything
• Track down the details for listing (measure items, do an online search for missing manuals, etc.)
• Haul stuff to wherever you need it to wait for craigslisters (your car/front porch/the curb).

You could give them a cut of the proceeds as incentive. Seriously--our basement is a mess and I am not looking forward to future clearouts. It would be so much easier if I had help for the details.

You can also put yourself on a charity's regular pickup list. Or several charities' pickup lists--imagine if you had regular pickup of unwanted items twice a month--with a receipt for income tax purposes!

If you want to ebay it, how about finding a reseller in your area?

I don't do resolutions. However, I always have a few goals in mind. Someone mentioned cleaning and purging every area of their home. We actually started that in the fall. The inside is good, I have two more bedroom closets and a second linen closet to do and then will be finished inside. Hubby is tackling the garage, AND he says he is going to do the basement and attic. Both places I rarely go. LOL

Our healthy eating has gotten pushed aside a bit during the holidays, so we are getting back on track with that and getting more exercise goes right along with that.

Organize my house. I restarted organizing my office yesterday. I worked all day doing bills, tax prep work, etc with some shredding and organizing mixed in. Once that's complete I am off to organize the worst basement possible.

Last year one of my goals was to buy less china....that was a resolution fail. I bought more china in one year than I have in the last 15. WTBS, that is an ongoing resolution for this year. I received 8 Villeroy & Boch Christmas mugs and a large buffet plate today. Macy's had a great after Christmas sale but I WILL NOT buy more china, at least until 2017!!!!

Lol, Holly-Kay, come sit by me and show me your new china! I have a similar weakness...

LOL KSWL. It's crazy isn't it? The only way I can understand a drug addict is to look at a china pattern that I love. This year it started with the bunny toile from WS, then Lenox had a pretty wisteria pattern. Thankfully I only bought six plates. Then there was a thread where you mentioned loving to use white with gold trim at Christmas. Well that has always looked gorgeous to me and Macy's had a great sale. I ended up with a service for 16. I did restrain myself from buying several sets of acorn plates from WS after that. Of course I bought some Christmas pieces before Christmas for myself and my DDs. Thankfully when the after Christmas sale began a lot was sold out. Today I received my goodies from that sale. I wonder if there is a ten step program for china addiction?

A service for 16--- you are an addict, lol. But pretty, neutral china on sale? Makes perfect sense to me :-). But I also have a bunny toile luncheon service....plates, cake stand, serving bowl, etc., so of course it makes sense to me!

The same as it was last year, to try to remember to "stop and smell the roses" . . . every day. To really see and appreciate the beauty in the small everyday things and events in my life. The freshness of our mountain mornings. The birds that visit our land here. Cuddles with my furkids. Tea with my sweet daughter. A good book. The wildflowers that bloom here. Walks with my husband. As I get older, I've come to realize that it's those small things that are so special and, once gone, are lost forever except in my memories. As I watch my parents slowly dying, I've come to realize that there's no guarantee how much time any of us have here in this life. I'm determined to enjoy each day the best I can before my own time here has slipped by.

Lynn, how inspiring. Aging really is quite a beautiful thing as we come to realize the beauty of the small moments in life. I wake up each day with a smile on my face and thanking God for another day.

Thank you for saying that, Holly-Kay. I don't want to come off as preachy or holier-than-thou saying what I did. It's just that until both my parents started to slowly die from terrible diseases in 2014 (Dad with Congestive heart failure and senior dementia; Mom from Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) the thought of aging never scared me. Having both my parents now in home hospice care and now in a memory care unit has shaken me to my very core. Not so much that I'm losing them at the same time (they're both in their late-80's) , but the awful way they're dying. Anyhoo, it's made me reassess everything in my own life and appreciate all the small-but-beautiful things while I still can.

Lynn, you didn't come off as preachy at all. I lost my first DMIL right before Thanksgiving. She was suffering from dementia. I had been in to visit her on a Saturday and that following Friday night got an email from my BIL that hospice had been called in to the nursing home. We were leaving the house Saturday to go in to see her when we got the call that she had just passed away. I loved her dearly and it was such a great loss but I felt that at last she was at peace. She was 88 in July and led a good life but lost her husband and DS (my late husband) at an early age.